12 Free Alternatives to Calendly

In our selection of the best online appointment scheduling software, Calendly is clearly our favorite. Leader for several years, it offers a completely free plan that includes a large number of features, and paid plans at affordable prices.

However, it must be recognised that many other offers have developed on the market. Some alternatives offer completely free plans with a similar or even greater number of functions than those offered by Calendly.

Are you looking for a free online appointment scheduling software that can stand up to Calendly? We offer you 12 free alternatives to Calendly!

What makes a good free alternative to Calendly?

Unsurprisingly, we find here the classic functions of an online appointment scheduling software, which are also those of Calendly, the market leader. It is these functions that make your software truly essential for your business:

• Calendar integrations: Most free tools or plans limit the number and selection of available integrations. The first thing to check is that the solution integrates well with your calendar tools.
• The number of appointment types available: Again, many solutions limit the appointment options to push you towards a premium plan. But if this is an important issue for you, some solutions allow you to have several appointment templates even on a free plan.
• Integrations with video tools: Visios are now a must, especially for the most common applications (Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams). This is therefore an important point to check.
• Group invitations: Again, many tools have made this a feature available only from the paid plan, but some free alternatives exist.
• Advertising: Obviously, free versions will always have a downside. Some add , it’s often worth paying the price.

Top 12 free alternatives to Calendly : comparative table

#1 Sendinblue : The free all-in-one sales & marketing tool

Sendinblue is a sales and marketing tool all in one. The French nugget started with an emailing software that exploded in the late 2020s, and keeps adding features for its customers:

• SMS, and recently Whatsapp
• Landing pages & Live chat
• and a true CRM suite with sales pipeline, sales reporting and collaborative inbox

• Limitations of the free version: None, you get access to all the options of the tool. You can customize your appointment booking page, and even accept payments with Stripe, at no extra cost
• Sendinblue actually relies on the use of this great free tool to generate customers on the Premium suite, which is a true all-in-one sales and marketing CRM for SMBs. The Premium plan in question starts at 49€ / month.

#2 Cal: The collaborative tool

An open-source collaborative project ideal for basic appointment scheduling needs. The limitation to only one type of appointment makes it suitable for the liberal professions in particular.

• Limitations of the free version: In terms of calendar integrations, the free version only supports Google Calendar and Outlook. Advertising may hinder the customer experience, but that is often the deal to get access to the free plan.
• Pricing: They also offer a Pro plan ($12/month) with unlimited appointment types and many additional integrations. For larger organisations, the Enterprise plan ($39/month) includes SSO authentication.

#3 Simply Book Me: International

The ideal appointment scheduling software for international organisations. It is available in 32 languages (from Icelandic to Ukrainian) and offers a wide range of supported international payment options.

• Limitations of the free version: it only supports 50 bookings per month and is limited to 5 users. You don’t have access to online payment acceptance either, which starts with the Basic pay plan.
• Pricing: The software also offers premium plans, starting at €6/month (access to online payment) or €21/month (access to all features).

#4 Super Saas: Ideal for beginners

A simple and effective design at first glance, but which offers great possibilities for customisation. Easy to access and use for beginners, but flexible for web developers. And above all, a more affordable price than the competition.

• Limitations of the free version: Access limited to 50 identified users and a maximum of 50 appointments per month. Another negative point is the lack of automatic synchronisation with Apple or Google calendars, and the advertising.
• Pricing: Their paid plans range from A (6€/month) to J (114€/month). All features are available (automatic synchronisation and unlimited users) from the first paying plan, only the number of available appointments increases between plans.

#5 Hubspot: The veteran

This is one of the most important functions of the CRM: online appointment scheduling. This function is part of the Sales Hub, and is therefore accessible from the free version. We particularly appreciate the increased possibilities for customisation (choice of favourite time periods between two appointments, etc.).

• Limitations of the free version: The online payment service is currently only available in the US.
• Pricing: To have access to the advanced features, you need to subscribe to the paid plans (from €41/month).

#6 Setmore: The reference for services

A complete software for an interesting price, especially for large structures in the service sector. We particularly appreciate the ease with which clients can plan their appointments by taking them at any time.

The free plan includes up to 4 users, unlimited appointment booking, email reminders and most importantly, online payment acceptance via Square.

• Limitations of the free version: For other payment methods (Paypal in particular) or SMS reminders, you need to subscribe to a paid plan.
• Pricing: The Premium plan unlocks all features for $9/month/user. The Pro plan has the same features, but at a lower price ($5/month/user) as it is intended for larger organisations (more than 5 users).

#7 Acuity Scheduling: The Flexible and Easy Software

Developed by Squarespace, this is an interesting option for businesses looking for a software that is easy to learn and customisable at the same time. It is also suitable for a wide range of sectors.

The originality of the solution: the “Appear busy” option, which automatically hides certain available times in your calendar in case of an empty agenda.

• Limitations of the free version: The free trial is only available for 7 days and then you have to subscribe to a paid plan. The cheapest plan ($14/month), does not include SMS reminder notifications and has limited customisation options.
• Pricing: To have access to all features, choose between the Growing ($23/month) and Powerhouse ($45/month) plans.

#8 Simply Meet Me: The New Kid

It is the little sister of Harmonizely, launched in June 2021. We appreciate that the customisation options are all available from the free plan, as well as their entire catalogue of integrations.

• Limitations of the free version: The appointment types are unlimited, but the free plan is only available for one user and 500 appointments per month. Customer support is limited to live chat and the online help centre. And the software is not available in a mobile version.
• Pricing: $9.99/month for the Pro plan with access to all features. A Custom Enterprise plan is also available with on-demand pricing and a dedicated manager.

#9 Harmonizely: The multilingual

It is a company owned by Saas. The solution is complete, even in its free version. We appreciate the available integration with all the essential calendars. For international businesses, the support of almost 8 languages in the free version is a real asset.

• Limitations of the free version: only one calendar and one type of appointment available. The integration via Zapier is only accessible from the Premium plan, as well as the customisation of emails and SMS reminders.
• Pricing: A $9.99 Pro plan and a $11.99 Premium plan give you access to their entire catalogue of integrations, appointment reminders and unlimited appointment types.

#10 Planyo: The most flexible

The ideal software for all companies, and in particular for hotel or car rental services. Payment management services, customer email management, booking confirmation tracking: all the essential features are there.

The module is integrated directly into your website: the customer never leaves your website during the entire booking process. The software is available in 27 languages.

• Limitations of the free version: You only get free access for 30 days and then you have to subscribe to a paid plan. The cheapest plan ($28/month) gives you access to all the features (integrations, customisation, unlimited appointments). A big advantage is that you are guaranteed free access if you have no bookings for a month.
• Pricing: To upgrade, you need to subscribe to the ProComm plan, where the site charges you a commission on each reservation made by a client (from 0.5 to 1.5%).

#11 Calendesk : The solution for small organisations

An appointment scheduling software particularly adapted for small structures (individuals, small businesses or companies up to 100 employees).

• Limitations of the free version: You only have 14 days to take advantage of the free trial before you have to switch to their premium plans. The standard plan ($24.99/month) is comprehensive, but does not offer Zapier integration and limits the number of email and SMS notifications.
• Pricing: For full access to all features, subscribe to the Pro plan ($41.66/month).

#12 Zcal : The must-have

The alternative that offers all the features of a premium plan … but for free. Unlimited number of appointments, integrations with all video tools, links for group meetings, etc. And all this without advertising.

• Limitations of the free version: There are honestly not many limitations. The availability of the software in English only is noteworthy. But it is still suitable for international structures: it includes automatic time zone coordination to see availability in local time.
• Pricing: They do not yet offer a premium plan, but intend to develop a new offer in the coming months.

What is included free of charge at Calendly

We talk about free alternatives to Calendly, but the solution itself offers a free plan with interesting features.

The free plan provides access to an unlimited number of appointments, generation of personalised booking links, synchronisation with all calendar applications and dual web and mobile application access.

But we have written this article for a reason, and there are limitations to the free version of Calendly that make the proposed alternatives interesting:

• No ability to create group events – unlike Zcal
• No appointment reminder (SMS/email) – unlike Setmore
• Limited possibilities for customising notifications – unlike Super Saas and Hubspot
• No integration with video tools – unlike Simply Meet Me
• A limited range of languages available – unlike Planyo and Simply Book Me